Question : TOLL TAX COLLECTED BY STATE GOVERNMENTS

(a) whether some State Governments are collecting toll tax within the premises of the centrally protected monuments;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) the total toll tax collected by the State Governments at these premises during the last three years and during the current year, till date, State-wise, year-wise;

(d) the reasons for giving permission to State authorities to collect toll tax in centrally protected monuments of ASI against the ancient monument and Archaeological Site Remains Act, 1958 and Rules of 1959 made thereunder; and

(e) the corrective steps taken by the Government in this regard ?

MINISTER OF TOURISM AND CULTURE (SHRI ANANTH KUMAR)

(a)&(b) Under the Uttar Pradesh Urban Planning and Development Act, 1973, toll is being collected by the Agra Development Authority from the tourists for the use of approach road and other amenities from their booths at the Taj Mahal, Sikandra, Agra Fort and Itimad-ud-daula Tomb at Agra.

(c) As per the details furnished by the Agra Development Authority Toll tax collected for the last three years and during the current year from their ticketing booths in the above four monuments is as follows :-

1997-98	-	315.82 Lakhs	1998-99	-	359.20 Lakhs	1999-2000	-	719.69 Lakhs	2000-2001	-	334.94 Lakhs	upto 31 July, 2000